Supporting surface for aircraft



Oct. l0, 1933. H. K. BINKs 1,930,330'

SUPPORTING sURFAEs Fon AIRQRAT I Filed sept. 15, 1932 F/G./. F1624 9 FIG. 4. F/G. 5.

/N VE N TOR ATTORNE Y Patented Oct. 10, 1933 i UNITED STATES smon'rmd Herbert xu muren, my ceieny, une.

Y Appueeuen september me, seem Ne. 033,365,

and in Great Britain September 3, 1931 9 Clalml. (Cl. 244-19) This invention relates to movable supporting surfaces for aircraft, the object of they invention being to provide improved surffaces of this character which shall be able to operate either 5 alone or in commotion with the usual fixed supporting surfaces. c

According to the present invention. I provide supportingsurfaces for aircraft, comprising two w er more members which are soconstructed and "-9 arranged that they are adapted to be revolved by the force of the air current in which they are disposed about a common axis perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to the plane o' the longitudinal axes of the members, and which are also caused to rotate about their longitudinal axes by the action of air currents whilst sirnultaneousli,7 revolving.

=referably, two or more tubular members are D@ provided and arranged to he revolved about a common axis by theV force of the air current in which they are disposed, each of said members also being arranged to be rotated about its longitudinal axis by the action of an air current passing axially through the member.` The said members may be provided with means whereby the air passing axiallythrough them is deflected downwards as it leaves the tubular members. said means augmenting the lifting action of the members and also preventing a reversal of now of the air currents through the members. Other features of the invention are referred to in 'the following description of a constructional form of the invention. 5 In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is now made to theaccompanying sheet of drawing whereon one constructional form of the invention and an application thereof to a monoplane are shown, by way of example, and whereon: f

Fig, Q1 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of two rotors and their co-operatin'g mechanism:

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of one of the rotors:

Fig. 3 is a view Figp4 is a fragmentary view of a rotor and its co-operating deilector, the latter being shown in sectional elevation;

Fig. 5 is a plan view correspondingnto Fig. 4'; Fig. 6 is an 'end view corresponding to Fig.. 5; Fig. "t is a view illustrating the application of the invention to a monoplane; and

Fig. 8 isa planview corresponding to Fig. '7. Referring to the drawin8 The arrangement comprises artubular member 1l Whereon a sleeve 2 is slidably arranged, said sleeve formihg the inner housing of a bail v race 3 provided with an outer race 4. This 60 particular commotion comprises four cylindriof the outer end of a rotor;

cal rotors 5, each of which is provided. at its inner end, with a spider 6 secured to a stub l shaft '7. The latter is formed at its inner end with a substantially hemispherlcal m 'ber 8, which is turnably arranged in a hemis erical socket or bearing formed in the outer Ahousing 4. Each of the stub shafts is rotatably supported in, and 'heldin position by. a ball thrust race 10, the outer surface of which is turnably arranged in the interior of the cover 11 fixed to the housing 4. y Each of the'covers 11 is provided with alprojectinz boss 12 in which'. Yan opening 13 is formed, said opening permitting the pivotal movement of the shaft 'l about its hemispherical socket: The rotors are floatingly 15 Y supported upon the tubular member 1 between springs 14 and 15. The upper end of the spring i4 bears against a collar 16 which is adjustably fixed in position upon the memberi by means of a split-socket 1'?, and the lower end of the spring 15 bears onE the interior of a dished member 19 formed with a peripheral track' 2f). The said member 19 is adjustably fixed in position on the tube 1 by means of a split-socket 21.

Each of the rotors 5 is retained in its longitudinal position bybeing secured 'between the said spider a'nd a'spider 22 mounted upon a rod 23 extending axially through the rotor, a nut 24 securing the spider 22 in position. A plurality of radial blades or vanes 25 are provided internally and at the outer end of `the rotor 5. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, a defiector 26 is loosely mounted on the outwardly proiecting end of the rod 23, said defiector being cowl-shaped and provided with an opening 27 registering with the adjacent end of the rotor 5. Each defiector is also formed with an opening 28 at its :lower part. The deiiectors are prevented from turning abouty the rods 23: for example, by means'of wires 29 anchored atztheir outer ends tothe lugs 30 and, if so'desired, the denectors may be interconnected by means of thesaidLwires, as shown in F188. '1 and 8.

The complete retort, twoormoncrotors5,isarrangedinthcsllp stream of the propeller. When the propeller is revolving the slip stream therefrom causes each of the rotors to revolve. When the rotors are inoperative and "at the commencement of their revolving movement, by virtue of the calmembersiiandthecorresponding9. the rotors roll around the peripheral tract 20 on the member 19. When, however, the speed of. revolution of the rotors has increased sumciently. centrifugal forceicauses the rotors to move up#- wards out of contact with the track, the member 8 pivotina in the socket 9. After a certain time. therefore, the rotors are noatingly supported between the springs 14 and 15. It will be understood that the friction between the rotors 5 and 120 los rio

the in'ack 20 will cause the rotors to rotate about their axes as they revolve. As each of the rotors revolves, air is drawn into the interior of the rotor from the innerL end thereof through the spider 6. The air current travels outwards through the rotor and impinges against the blades 25, thus causing the rotation of the rotor about its axis to be continued after the rotors have left the track 20.

After impinging on the blades 25, the air passes thirdly, the downward pressure of the air streams escaping from the open lower ends of the deflectors 28. The deilectors also have the effect of preventing the reversal of the air flow' through the rotors at such vperiods when the outerendsoftherotorsarepreaentedtotheline of night and to the slip stream.

. 1n the ease of known rotating blades or aircraft, the forward motion of the latter is necessary in order to obtain the automatic revolution of the blades. This is only parthr the case -in the present invention, since a positive force viz., that of the slip stream, or mechanical means, exerts a positive turning effort on the\ rotors. Thus, whereas in the known arrangements the blades slow down after a certain speed of forward travel, in the present invention the speed of the slip stream is always i'n excess of the rotary movement of the rotors. As a considerable portiony of the load is carried by the rotors, very little forward run causes the aircraft to leave theground. After the required height has been attainedtheenginecanbe closed downtoabouta quarter normal' speed, since the positive force applied to the rotors by the slip stream has a stabilizing effect, whilst the frictional resistance ofthe rotors ismuch below that of fixed wings.

The rotors ma? be employed as stabilizers, as well as supporting surfaces, in conjunction with the ordinary wings of an aircraft. Such an application is shown in Figs. 'l and 8, in which a monoplane is illustrated. Two rotor arrangements are used and in each the tubular member 1 is suspended from the wing and braced by the members 3l connected to the fuselage. Each arrangement comprises four rotors 5 arranged at 90 to each other, and the four deflectors 26 are interconnected by the wires 80.

An important feature of this arrangement is its ability to resist a sudden drop on the part of the aircraft to the gyroscopic effect of the rotors.

It will be appreciated that the present invention can be equally well applied to multi-planed aircraft and to single or multi-engined aircraft.

I claim:

1. Supporting surfaces for aircraft, comprising two or more tubular members, meansymounting them for revolution 'about a common axis by the force of the air current in which they are disposed, means supporting each of said members for rotation about its longitudinal axis by the action of an air current passing axially through I the'member. each member having an air inlet at one end and an air outlet at the opposite end.

2. Supporting surfaces for aircraft having tubular members arranged to be revolved about a. common axis by the force of the air current in -which they are disposed and open at both ends whereby the air may pass axially through them, and having means that deiiect the air down- -wards as it leaves the tubular members, thereby is augmented the lifting action of the members. 3. Supporting surfaces for aircraft asv claimed in claim 1, in which the tubular members are pivotally supported for pivotal movement as well as of revolutionary and rotating movements.

4. Supporting surfaces for aircraft as claimed in claim l comprising means that rotate the tubular members about their longitudinal axes concurrently with the revolution thereof about the common axis, said means also acting to cause the air which passes axially through the members to be drawn from above the latter. I 5. Supporting surfaces for 'aircraft comprising tubular members mounted for revolution about a common axis by the force of the air current in which they are disposed, said members being open to the air at oppositefends for the entrance of air into and its passage through and out of D the same, and means for causing the air passing axially through the tubular members to be deflected downwards consists of a deiiector arranged in fixed relationship to, and at the ou'ter end of, the tubular member and open at its lower part.

6. An aircraft having supporting surfaces comprising rotors rotatable upon their longitudinal axes, means supportingv said rotors to revolve about a common axis, and means for imparting rotation to such rotors comprising a track below the inner ends of the rotors and with which` they have temporary contact in their revolution about their common axis said rotors moving away from the track as their rate of rotation increases.

7. An aircraft having supporting surfaces comprising rotors rotating upon their longitudinal axes, means supporting said rotors to revolve about a common axis, and means for imparting rotation to such rotors comprising a track below the inner ends of the rotors and with which they have contact in their revolution about their common axis, said rotors being pivoted at their inner ends above said track to swing away from the track under the effect of centrifugal force.

8. -An aircraft having supporting surfaces comprising tubular members, means for supporting said members to revolve about a common axis, said members being ,rotatable upon their longitudinal axes, said tubular members having each an air inlet and an air outlet at opposite ends forV the entrance of air into,

tubular member driving means situated within the tubular member for driving contact with air passing through the tubular member.

9. An aircraft having supporting surfaces, comprising rotors rotatable upon their longitudinal axes and means supporting them for revolution about a common axis comprising a central shaft and a turnable connection between the members and the shaft. fioatingly mounted for endwise movement along the shaft.

y T KAY BINKS.

-through and out of the tubular members and 

